


Clean Sweep

by brokenhighways



Series: The Thrill [9]
Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: Cliche, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 08:55:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15263925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways
Summary: Zero’s faced with a multitude of questions that he can’t answer, but he suspects that all signs lead to Oscar. Meanwhile Jude deals with being a suspected murderer and does his best to push Zero away.





	Clean Sweep

**Author's Note:**

> This took forever to write. Sigh. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Less humour in this one, but that should change in the next (and final) part. :)
> 
> ETA: Part 10 is on the way. Writer's block has gotten me good this time. Jeez. Thanks for all of the support!

Zero wipes a bead of sweat from his forehead before he pumps the ball upwards and sinks into into the basket. It feels like a hollow victory, but he takes it. There are two days until the Devils play New York in the Championship finals and he has to stay focused. Not for himself, but for every single guy on the team who isn't caught up in a murder case.

“Zero, I think maybe you should take a break,” Clive calls through the open patio doors. “Maybe you should visit Jude.”

Jude. 

The elephant in every room. 

“He broke up with me. Absolved me from his messy situation. I think it's best that it stays that way, Clive.”

“You don't mean that.”

Zero doesn't answer.

~

He's at a Make A Wish thing later (although, this seems to be some sort of knock off version called  _ Inspire A Dream _ ) and a kid who appears to be sixteen gives it to him straight. 

“You look like shit.”

Zero is momentarily taken aback because Mieke's instructions were clear. Smile a lot and don't say anything beyond  _ hi, it’s great to see you today.  _

“Do your parents allow you to cuss?” 

What? He can't help himself. 

The kid shrugs and brushes a long strand of brown hair out of his face. “They're not around. I live with my uncle. He's sick, so I don't think he cares. He's why I'm here actually.”

“Oh.”

The kid snorts. “You know, I've been to a few of these events and you're the first celebrity who hasn't pretended to care about my sob story.”

Zero eyes him warily. “What's your name?”

“Matt.”

“I'll tell you one thing for free, people are full of shit. Never tell them anything. The more of yourself you give away, the more it hurts when they let you down.”

Matt scuffs his sneakers on the linoleum and finally pushes his poster across the table. He's the last in line, so there's no real rush. Zero takes his time signing it, finishes it off with a dramatic flourish. He signs another one and slides them over to Matt. 

“Sell 'em on eBay and you might get a good price.” 

Matt doesn't look convinced but he accepts them with a shrug. 

“Are you sad because your boyfriend broke up with you?”

The question is so out of left field that Zero cracks the plastic casing of the marker in his hand. 

“No,” he insists forcefully. “I'm not. It didn't work out. It happens.”

“Uh-huh,” Matt retorts. “I'm just a fifteen year old kid, but it's obvious that you miss him. I also bet my friend Riley fifty dollars that you would kick New York's ass in the finals. I need you to be on top of your game. So, make things right with your boyfriend and inspire a dream.”

The kid has the nerve to saunter away before Zero can tell him to mind his own business. He wishes that he could make things right with Jude, but he wasn't lying to Clive before. 

Jude really did break up with him. 

_ ~ _

Zero meets up with Jude's lawyer after the charity foundation event. It's a fancy office with glass walls and an alarming amount of chrome. He wonders if Oscar is paying for all of it. Jude certainly didn't accept his help.

“Ah, Zero, it's nice to see you,” the lawyer, Kevin, says. He directs Zero to a chair situated behind his fancy desk. 

Zero remains standing. 

“Why am I here?” 

Kevin frowns and runs a hand through his messy hair. “Uh, well, we're obviously looking into getting a judge to grant Jude bail pending investigation. It's just that he doesn't own his own property. Which leaves your house. I know that it's not ideal, but we can sell him not being a flight risk if he's staying with his serious boyfriend”

“What about Oscar?” Zero ignores the part about being Jude's boyfriend. It's not like he's about to jeopardise Jude's chances of being granted bail. 

Kevin scratches at his chin and sighs loudly. “I don't think that's a good idea.”

“We're not together anymore.”

This time Kevin openly rolls his eyes. “He broke up with you because he thought you might be incriminated somehow. He thought he was doing you a favour.”

Zero wants to argue but he knows Jude. That's exactly what he would do. It also dawns on him that if Jude gets bail, he won't be able to hide anymore. 

“Fine. Use the house.”

-II-

Zero's packing his duffel bag when Laura knocks on the door and enters his room. He's not sure when Jude is due at the house but, as they say, the show must go on. It's the first game of the finals in less than two days and he needs to be ready. 

“I did some digging into Olivia's death,” Laura says in lieu of a less heavy handed start. “By that I mean that I bribed an officer to look at the file. It says that someone called in an anonymous tip about Jude being involved somehow.”

“Jelena.”

Zero knew that before the cops even showed up to arrest Jude, the question is what do they have on Jude?

Laura shrugs. “It also says that Jude was seen arguing with Olivia the night before she died.”

Zero looks up from where he's packing and frowns. He didn't even know that Jude knew Olivia well enough to argue with her. 

“Well, I guess he treats the dancers as well. Maybe it was something to do with that.”

Laura shrugs and flops down onto the bed. “Actually, I think it's something to do with the team.”

Zero glances up at her. “The team?”

“Yeah. Why else would he not put up a fight? He refused to talk to the police. He refused to talk to  _ you.  _ He spoke to  _ Oscar  _ and one more person apart from his lawyers. And it's not his mom.”

This is the first that Zero is hearing of this, hell, he still remembers the moment that Jude's mother barged into the house, demanding to know why her only son was refusing to see her.

“Who is it?”

Laura's face takes on a grim expression. “Derek Roman.” 

-III-

By luck, Zero is stuck rooming with Derek. Knowing that Derek has been in contact with Jude just wires Zero up, but he forces himself not to react. He immerses himself in the team playbook and ignores the way Derek's head bops in time to whatever crap he's listening to. 

Eventually, he reaches breaking point and throws his playbook at Derek  _ hard. _

“What was that for?” Derek snaps, carefully removing his headphones. 

Zero glares back at him. “Why did you go to see Jude?”

Realisation floods Derek's eyes and he sets the headphones down and swings his legs off the bed. “You know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Zero retorts. “Just like I'm sure you know about our break up.”

Derek's hands shoot upwards in defence. “I have no idea why he broke up with you. Probably so that you wouldn't get dragged into this mess.”

“What exactly is this mess?” 

Derek is quiet for what feels like an age. He's chewing on his bottom lip and wringing his hands so hard that Zero wants to  _ slap  _ him.

Instead he watches on silently until Derek speaks again.

“A while ago, Jude helped me with something. Him and Olivia. I... I failed a drugs test and I have a break clause in my contract. Before you joined the team, I had a bit of a problem.”

Zero rolls his eyes. “You mean the coke?” 

It's been an open secret for years, and the biggest joke is that he's not the only one. The league will turn a blind eye so long as Derek is raking in the cash. 

Derek grimaces, but he nods. “Yeah. Oscar wasn't happy about my performances, but my agent managed to snag me the sweetest deal when I was renewing my contract. I just had to make sure every test came back clean.”

That certainly sounds like Oscar; he keeps his star man but not at the cost of the team’s reputation. 

“How do Jude and Olivia fit into this?”

Derek rubs his shaven head and lets out a frustrated huff. “I tested positive and I went to Jude. Olivia overheard and I gave them a sob story. You know, absent mother, the pressure of having to lead the team one day, blah, blah. I swore that I was done with the coke. They agreed to help me.”

Zero nods slowly. Truth be told, he doesn't give a shit about Derek and what he does in his free time. He just wants to know how all of this ended with Jude being arrested for  _ murder. _

“So, they covered for you. What went wrong?”

“You know what Oscar Kinkade is like. If he wants you around, it's all good. The second he has no use for you, good luck. He wanted Olivia gone. She knew too much about his seedy past and he was trying to clean up his image before announcing the new stadium development.”

Zero snorts. “'Cause the City of Los Angeles gives a damn about good character.”

“She wanted us to lobby for her, help her expose Oscar for the person that he really was. We said no.”

Derek stops talking and Zero assumes that is all there is to it. It doesn't explain why Jude is sitting in a jail cell and refusing to talk to anyone.

“Did Oscar kill Olivia?” 

Derek shakes his head. “I have no idea. That woman had her fair share of enemies. She butt heads with everyone. Jelena, Pete, Terrence. If she was blackmailing us, there's nothing to say that she wasn't blackmailing them.”

-IV-

The Devils lose the first game. 

They trudge back to the hotel in near silence, with the quietness of the bus ride haunting them like a sad song on the radio. Zero's been on a championship winning team before; this isn't how to react to a first game loss. They should be rallying around, hyping each other up for the next game. Instead the events of the past few weeks linger sourly. 

He texts Jude just before he goes to sleep. According to Laura, his bail was finally granted and he's back at the house. There have been no calls or messages, but Zero doesn't dwell on that. 

He sends a simple message that says  _ I miss you.  _

Following that he turns his phone off and slips his eye mask on. 

He barely sleeps. 

~

They have a light practise session the next morning. Pete seems out of it so German takes over. Zero isn't surprised when he's pulled over to the side and faced with a concerned look. 

“You can sit this one out of you need to, I know that you're going through a lot.”

The soft tone unnerves him and Zero aims a glare in German’s direction before he says, “I'm fine.”

German eyes him curiously before he shrugs and returns back to the team. He doesn't say anything when Zero grabs his water bottle and leaves.

He's on his way to the locker room when he catches a glimpse of Jelena and Terrence arguing. It's mostly hushed whispers and gesticulating, but obviously not a happy conversation. 

Technically, Terrence is here to provide tactical support, but all he's done is hang around with Jelena since the plane reached the airport. 

The fact that they're arguing is music to his ears and Zero can't resist the opportunity to make the situation worse.

“Trouble in paradise?”

Jelena looks startled momentarily before her eyes narrow. “You're one to talk. How is prison life suiting Jude? Oh. Wait. He broke up with you.”

“You know, you're going to make a great evil stepmother soon. It's a shame that you couldn't afford that beach house in Malibu. I guess Terrence needs to save the money for his child support payments.”

Terrence steps forward then. “That's enough, Zero. We're sorry about Jude and  _ we  _ hope that things work out.”

Jelena's mouth twitches, like she's chewing on glass and Zero smirks. 

“Jude’s not my problem anymore, so I guess that your little plan failed. Let's just hope that the cops don't come knocking on your door next.”

He saunters past them without waiting for a response. 

-V-

Jude’s lying on one of the couches when Zero gets home. His eyes are closed, but Zero can already see pale, gaunt skin as well rough stubble on his chin. The green t-shirt Jude's wearing is crumpled and slightly raised at the hem, revealing a strip of pale skin. Zero remembers a time when that would lead to something else. 

Now, all he wants to do is leave. 

“Jude.”

Jude’s eyes fly open and he sits up so quickly that Zero can see the moment the dizziness hits him. 

“Are you okay?”

Jude takes his time to answer, but when he does his voice is quiet and gravelly. “Not really. Thanks for letting me stay here. I...I know that I don't deserve it.”

“Yeah, well, I don't abandon people. They just abandon me.”

Zero's barely had time to adjust the break up and he's harbouring a lot of resentment. After everything they've been through, it hurts that Jude pushed him away and he's not sure if he can forgive him. 

“I was just trying to protect you.”

Zero rolls his eyes. “I had the cops question me for over six hours. Only for Derek to tell me that you're a liar and a  _ cheat. _ ”

If Jude is surprised that Zero knows, he doesn't show it. 

“I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, I just...I  _ couldn't  _ okay? I could lose my license, let alone my job. I regret covering up that test.”

“Did you kill Olivia?”

Jude’s shoulders tense visibly. “No. I didn't kill her. She was blackmailing me but murder? I would never.”

Zero drops his bag onto the floor and crosses his arms. “Did  _ Oscar  _ kill her?”

It takes Jude a long time to answer. 

“I'm not sure. From what my lawyer told me, she was blackmailing quite a few people. There's a long list of suspects.”

After his conversation with Jelena and Terrence today, Zero's sure that Olivia must have had  _ something  _ on them. He just needs to find out what it is so he can get payback. That's all he's interested in. He could go all vigilante cop and solve Olivia's murder, but that's not his problem. 

Jude didn't need his help weeks ago when he broke up with him and that's how it's going to stay. 

“We made up the guest bedroom for you. All your stuff is there. There should be great reception for your ankle bracelet.”

It's gaudy and an ugly shade of grey. Zero spotted it the moment he walked in. .

“Gideon, I'm sorry. I...I still love you.”

He can hear it in Jude's voice and see it in his eyes, but it doesn't make up for the past few weeks. The fact that Jude pushed him away in his darkest hour. 

“Goodnight, Jude.”

-VI-

Zero drinks his breakfast smoothie on the patio the next morning. Jude's sitting in the kitchen, poking at two slices of toast along with Laura. He bypasses both of them and finds himself outside. 

He hears the sliding doors moments later and from the fruity shampoo scent hitting his nostrils, he knows that it's Laura. 

“This is awkward. Unbearably so. Go and talk to him. Have kitchen sex. Anything. I'm going to a friend's house for the day.”

Zero quirks an eyebrow. “Aren't you supposed to be working for me? There's no way that you're not needed. We have Game 3 next.”

Laura pats him on the shoulder. “Grace and Mieke have got it covered. If you need someone to boost your ego, Clive is one phone call away. Mel is on hand to make her famous Pick Me Up peach cobbler. Oh and your  _ boyfriend  _ is right there and he can't leave the house.”

~

The next game is in the evening, and Pete's schedules a light afternoon session.  That leaves Zero with time to kill. He does some light stretches in his personal gym and goes back up to the master bedroom, turning on the TV before he sinks onto his bed. He settles on CNN and spends an hour flicking through his social media. 

He's lost in thought when the voice sounds. 

“Gideon.”

Zero looks up to see Jude standing in the doorway.

“There's a game later tonight.” 

He doesn't mean to be abrupt, he just can't deal with whatever conversation Jude wants to have. Not right now. 

“Oh, right, yeah. The Devils are 2-0 down. I'm sorry.”

“I'm not,” Zero mutters. He's all for winning another championship, but at this point, the media storm it would bring most likely isn't worth it. 

Jude steps in and let's the door close behind him. He doesn't stop moving until he's lying next to Zero, arms brushing against each other. 

“I missed you too,” he says. “I just managed to get my phone turned back on.”

The words sound like the truth but they still ring hollow. 

“Why didn't you tell me that Olivia was blackmailing you? Even during that whole thing with the stupid affair I supposedly had with her?”

Jude shifts slightly. It's a nervous tic of his and Zero can't help wonder if he's about to be lied to. 

“She wasn't blackmailing  _ me.  _ It was mostly Derek, but she couldn't promise that I wouldn't be caught up in the crossfire.”

Zero rolls his eyes because what is this, bush league. “First rule of blackmail is retaliation. Olivia wasn't exactly squeaky clean. All you had to do was dig up some information and use it against her.”

Jude shifts so that he's propped up on one arm. “Do I look like Colombo to you?”

“Well you  _ do  _ have the curly hair,” Zero retorts with a wry smile. “He's better looking, though.”

It's nice to see Jude laugh, even if it only highlights how much he's changed in a few weeks. 

“We need to find out who else Olivia was blackmailing,” he says. “I'm betting that we'll find her murderer.”

Jude doesn't look convinced. 

-VII-

They lose the third game and the media start talking about a clean sweep. Derek punches his locker so hard that there's blood and the rest of the team seem disgusted, but Zero hardly even cares. His mind has been consumed with getting Jude's name cleared. He's been eyeing everyone and trying to decide where to start. 

The answer comes in the form of Terrence who's here consoling the players. 

Jelena isn't the kind of person to just throw the police a bone unless there's something in it for her. Like protecting the person she loves. 

Terrence glances at the players and says, “Look guys, it's not over yet. We still have one game to make it all count. Keep your heads up, alright?” 

The response is a series of dejected murmurs. 

~

Mieke makes Zero go through with all of his prearranged post-match interviews even though he pleads and practically begs her to get him out of it.

“Stop being a baby and answer a few questions.” 

Zero rolls his eyes, but he goes ahead anyway. 

The first question is straightforward. 

_ How are you feeling after the third loss in a row? _

Shitty. 

_ How's team morale? _

Shitty. 

_ How's Jude? _

“I'm here to talk about the game, not my personal life. All questions about Jude should be directed to Oscar Kinkade and/or the Devils legal team. Thank you.”

With that, Zero grabs his shades and duffel bag and leaves, ignoring Mieke when she calls him back. The last thing he wants to do is wake up to yet more stories about him and Jude splashed over the papers. Thankfully, Laura and Clive are waiting for him in the parking lot. 

“Can we stop off at Olive Garden?” Laura asks when Clive pulls out onto the main road. “I'm starving and the nachos at the stadium were absolutely disgusting.”

Zero looks at her and shakes his head. “No stops. I need to talk to Jude.”

Laura and Clive share a silent look before she asks, “So, are you two back together, or…?”

The honest answer is that he doesn't know. He understands why Jude broke up with him, but all of this is too much. It's exactly why Zero never bothered with relationships before. They get messy and bleed into his own relatively simple life. 

“I don't know.”

Laura rolls her eyes. “G, you love him. And I literally have the dress I'm wearing to your wedding picked out, and also maybe even an engagement ring for when you finally grow a pair.”

Zero laughs, but it's humourless. He's not sure he wants to legally bind himself to anyone even partially related to Oscar. Still, it's sweet that she's been thinking about it. About their little family. 

“It's complicated.”

Clive sucks in his teeth. “Never tell a woman that it's complicated, Zero. It means a million different things.”

Zero can't argue with that assessment.

~

Jude’s watching Sports Center when Zero stumbles into the master bedroom room. Considering that he set up the guest room for Jude, he's unsure if he's been here since he left for the game. 

“Sorry about the game.”

“Forget about that, I hired a PI to look into Jelena and Terrence. If Olivia had dirt on them, we'll find out.” 

Jude’s face falls, but Zero doesn't move to comfort him. He's still wired from the game, still  _ pissed  _ that this great moment of his career is going down in flames. He misses feeling like he was in control of his own life. 

“That's good...I...Oscar called,” Jude replies. “I think he's worried that I'm going to say something.”

That's another thing that's frustrating Zero. Oscar. It's always the same shit with him and they're powerless. Oscar has too many connections in this town. Too much influence. 

“You need to cut him off, Jude,” Zero states with as much finality as he can muster. “We all know that he probably had something to do with the death of that dancer who wound up dead. People turn a blind eye because we all make money, all have some end game here.”

Jude uses a hand to ruffle his hair. “I know, but...He’s my father. I can't just walk away.”

“It's not just you, Jude. I'm a part of this. My sister, Clive...We are your family. Not Oscar.”

Zero can see the exact moment Jude closes down, right down to the way his lips thin. 

“Once I can clear my name, I'll see what I can do.”

He leaves for the guest room five minutes later. 

-VIII-

Clean sweep. 

Zero stands on the court, shaking his head at the screen declaring that New York have won the Finals on their turf. It's embarrassing and humiliating, but not a surprise. After it begins to sink in he stretches out and starts to congratulate the winning team. Nobody likes a sore loser after all. 

“Hey, man, I hope everything works out for you and your dude,” Steven Something, the opposing small forward surprises him. 

Zero nods appreciatively. “Thanks, man.”

He mills around for as long as he needs to and finally escapes. He doesn't bother to shower, just grabs his stuff and heads for his car.

~

Two hours later finds him parked outside Chase Vincent's now abandoned house. Word on the street is that he's been staying in a hotel since Olivia passed because he's not allowed back in. Technically, the house is still a crime scene, but Zero's hoping to find some evidence that the police missed. 

“This isn't  _ The Mentalist _ , you know, and you're not blonde anymore. You're not Patrick Jane. What's your plan here, to  _ sniff  _ out clues?’

Zero is regretting bringing Laura along, particularly because she's dressed in all black, including a black beanie hat. 

“Why do you look like you're about to rob a bank?”

Laura frowns. “I have a very promising future ahead of me. I'm not going down because you feel like we're going to find something the police haven't already taken.”

“The police  _ and  _ Oscar.”

“You know, if I could bribe that officer to tell me about Derek, I bet that Oscar already knows everything they have. So why hasn't he made it go away?”

Zero feels something churn in his gut. “Jude's exposable to him. Always has been. Always will be.”

~

They don't find anything out of the ordinary in the house, at least not until they're on the way out and Zero spots a cap hanging on the coat stand. It's navy blue and has Boston written across the front. There's absolutely no way Chase would have anything with Boston on it on his house. Not after the ‘83 playoffs. 

He uses a gloved hand to take the hat and turns it around. 

The initials G.V. are on the label. 

“Who's G.V.?” Laura asks after she shines the flashlight. “Someone on the team?”

Zero hums to himself. “Something like that.”

~

Surprisingly, Jude comes down for dinner. It's just pizza on account of the Devils loss and Zero's exhaustion from playing a crappy game  _ and  _ snooping in the Vincent house. Laura fills up a plate and makes her excuses, leaving Zero to deal with an increasingly sullen Jude. 

“Sorry that you couldn't win the game. You played well at least.”

Jude is a terrible liar. 

“I was awful because all my mind has been focused on is the fact that my so called boyfriend is going to end up in prison for murder.”

“Oscar's working on it.”

Zero almost knocks over his glass of water. “Jude, wake the fuck up. Please. Oscar is throwing you under the bus. If he can't find anyone better to pin her murder on, you'll go down and that'll be it. I'm not going to sit around and wait for that to happen.”

“It's my life, Zero, so maybe you should keep out of it.” Jude folds his arms like a petulant child and Zero realises that he's going to have to change his approach to the conversation. 

“Right. And whose house are you currently not allowed to leave because you're under house arrest? Who's had to field questions and defend you to every shitty news outlet that wants to talk? Tonight, we went looking for information that could exonerate you somehow, but you know what? Fuck it. Fuck you.”

“Zero--” 

There's an arm on him, but if Jude doesn't let go, Zero's going to swing his free arm right back at him. The anger is boiling under his blood and he just needs to  _ breathe.  _

“Get off me.”

Jude releases him and steps back as Zero pushes past him and leaves. 

~

Zero is at lunch (if you can call three dry martini’s lunch) with Lionel when he drops the question. 

“Was Olivia blackmailing you?”

Lionel laughs  _ hard.  _ Zero watches on in bemusement as her drink sloshes against the side of the glass. 

“Like that bitch would even dare to. You should ask Pete that question. That man doesn't know how to keep it in his pants.”

Zero quirks an eyebrow upwards. “Go on.”

“Pete and I slept together.  _ After _ he got with Sloane. Olivia found out.”

“Did she tell Pete that she knew?”

“Yes. That's how I found it. He wanted me to lie for him. Now that I think about it, after I told him that he'd have to do something for me first, we never spoke about it again. Although, that could be because she died. You can't blackmail anyone when you're dead.”

-IX-

Jude is still being cagey when Zero returns back to the house. He's up in the guest room and all knocks on the door go unanswered. In the end, Zero gives up because he's so damn tired. He goes back to the lounge. 

It's movie night and Clive's wife, Zara, is around. Zero will never get enough of her no nonsense personality. 

“So, you mean to tell me that he's under house arrest in  _ your  _ house and he's not even talking to you?” Zara states the obvious so beautifully that Zero refrains from saying  _ no shit, Sherlock.  _ “Give me five minutes with him.”

Before any of them can stop her, she's up at out of the lounge and heading for the staircase. 

Clive grabs another bread roll from the platter and clears his throat. “Don't worry, she's mostly up there to snoop and steal your butterfly shaped soap.”

Laura looks up from her iPhone with a disgusted expression. “You have butterfly shaped soap?”

Zero rolls his eyes. “It's for  _ decoration. _ ”

“It's pretty damn good soap,” Clive states. Zero definitely does not ask how he knows. They can steal his soap if they want to, he just doesn't want a lifetime of images he can't erase in his mind. 

“You should probably go and check that Clive's wife hasn't scared Jude into confessing. She scares me. Remember when I wanted to date that DJ and you told Clive and he told Zara. She Googled him and then spent three hours lecturing me. She even had a binder of information. A binder.”

Clive chuckles dryly. “That's the lawyer in her. You know, if you ever wanted to go back into law, she can help you out.”

Laura tilts her head to the side. “Actually, I might take you up on that. I like working for Zero, but I don't think I can take another topsy-turvy season. Plus, we need a fall back plan for when he starts to suck and his pretty fades.”

Zero snorts. “Like that'll ever happen.”

Before anyone can reply, Zara strolls back into the room with a satisfied look on her face. “Jude would like to talk to you.”

Zero shrugs. “Maybe I don't want to talk to him.”

“I don't give a crap. Clive works for you, and his paycheck supports my family. Plus, we maybe sort of consider you part of said family. It's not just you two who are involved here. It's all of us. I know that Jude didn't murder that woman. You know that. So we all need to stick together and get through this.”

Zero can't find fault with anything that she says. 

~

Jude's waiting in the doorway of the guest room when Zero reaches the second floor.

He still looks pale and sickly and it dawns then that they haven't so much as touched each other since he was released. Even with Zero's  _ no sex during the finals  _ rule, that's a long time for them. 

“Do you think we'll ever be the same?”

The question falls out unprompted and Jude's eyes widen with surprise. 

“No,” he says without missing a beat. “We're going to be  _ better. _ ”

He reaches out and grabs Zero by the wrist, pulling him in before he leans over and kisses him gently. It's over before it really begins but it's enough to reawaken all of Zero's nerve endings. Jude  _ still  _ makes him crazy and he knows that he's never going to be able to walk away without a fight. 

“I'm onboard with that.”

Jude beckons him into the room and Zero follows him in. On the desk is a large sheet of A3 paper littered with an array of notes and arrows. 

“I've been trying to figure out how everything links together. Obviously, Oscar is a suspect. We can't rule Chase out. Did you manage to get anything on Jelena?”

Zero shakes his head. “The private investigator is still doing his thing. I did get some information from Lionel. Apparently, she was hooking up with Pete. And Olivia knew about it.”

“That makes Sloane  _ and  _ Pete suspects.”

“Along with German,” Zero adds. “I found his cap at Olivia's house.”

That stops Jude in his tracks. “What were you doing there?”

“Looking for clues.”

Jude laughs bitterly and runs a hand through his already tousled hair. “Looking for--this isn't The Scooby Doo Mysteries. There are consequences for every action.”

“Just like there are consequences when you're  _ arrested  _ for murder.”

“Touché.”

~

Zero flops back onto his bed and runs a hand through his sweaty hair. 

“ _ That  _ was not what I had in mind when I said let's go over we information we have.”

Jude looks over with a grin. “It was much better.”

There's a knock on the door, but it opens before either of them can answer. Jude yelps and dives under the covers, but Zero doesn't move. He's way too comfortable. 

Laura's head peeks in and she wolf whistles and then wrinkles her nose. “I guess you two made up. Zara wanted me to report back. I think she wanted it to get to the point where she'd have to oversee your conscious coupling.”

Zero rolls his eyes. “Why is that everything that you say is layered with snark or things that I don't understand?”

“'Cause that's the way God made me,” Laura retorts without missing a beat. “Tell Jude that I said hi.”

-X-

The private investigator, a slim but handsome man called John, gets in touch with Zero the next day and they meet at the house for lunch. Maria is on vacation, so Zero orders in a bunch of food from some café Mieke told him about. 

“So, what did you find out?” Zero says before John can think of tucking into the elaborate spread (it's mostly for show anyway. Zero has his eyes on the lemon muffins).

John pulls out a few sheets of paper. “Well, Jelena Howard is clean. Her record is spotless. Terrence, not so much. It wasn't easy, but I was able to access some lab reports. He failed every single drug test they gave him in his last two seasons.”

Zero scrambles for the papers just so he can see it with his own two eyes.  _ Damn.  _ So much for Terrence's good guy image. No wonder Jelena is doing the most to protect him. 

“Anything else?”

John shrugs nonchalantly. “Derek Roman has a nasty coke problem, but that's not a secret. I managed to do some digging on Olivia Vincent and she had quite the enemies. On her last day, she was pictured in heated arguments with a number of people. The pictures are all in there.”

Considering that she was blackmailing everyone, that's not surprising. 

“Is there anything that you found that I  _ really  _ need to know?”

“Her husband was having an affair with the dancer that died, Mia. Apparently, Mia has a sister, but I couldn't find any information. Everything has been scrubbed. Whoever she is, she doesn't want to be found.”

~

Once John's gone, Zero realises that he has to map all of this shit out again. He's no Perry Mason, he can't just remember this messy web of drama off the top of his head. 

He grabs a piece of paper and writes 'OLIVIA’ in the center. From there, he draws an arrow and adds all of the names and possible motives. He then circles in on the one person who has no motive at all. 

_ German.  _

Zero didn't ask John for information on German, but he's got a full work up of the staff anyway.

Over the next hour he immerses himself in the file, but it's moot. German was a high school coach who made it to the big leagues. He's dating Mieke for God's sake, there's no way he's a  _ murderer.  _

Unless…

Zero scrambles to find Ahsha Hayes folder. He still remember the huge media storm over her messy breakup with German and subsequent relationship with Derek. If he felt half as much as Zero feels for Jude, there's a possibility that he might do the unthinkable for the person that he loves. 

-XI-

Zero is invited to guest host an early morning radio show and Mieke insists he do it. 

_ You need all of the good publicity you can get.  _

He goes with it, just to get her to shut up, but he regrets it instantly when he realises that it's one of those stupid shows with a theme. He didn't even know that people still  _ called  _ into radio stations. 

“Okay, so, our theme is broken hearts,” Linda, the overly enthusiastic host, says. “I imagine that Zero knows a lot about that. Hopefully none of your exes are listening!”

Zero can feel the blood draining from his face. 

Mieke is  _ so  _ going to pay for his. 

~

_ ZERO GHOSTED ME AFTER A YEAR LONG RELATIONSHIP!  _

_ ZERO IS A CHEAP DATE...AND EVEN WORSE LOVER!  _

_ ZERO STOOD ME UP AFTER I FLEW TO OHIO TO BE WITH HIM! _

_ Read all about it in this week’s US WEEKLY! _

“In hindsight, going on that show was a good idea,” Jude says when he's done reading the article. “You made some good points and had good insight on the show. This article doesn't paint you in a flattering light  _ at all. _ ”

Zero snatches the magazine from Jude's hands. “Yeah, because it's  _ fiction _ !”

It's obvious what this means; someone is trying to distract Zero from his main objective. Getting Jude out of his stupid ankle bracelet. 

“Even so, you came across really well on the show. I really liked the part where you said the key to a man's heart is knowing how to suck his brains out. Classy.”

“Didn't they censor that part out? It's a  _ morning  _ show.”

Zero has an image to maintain; he's the all around controversial star player. He's  _ paid  _ to he crude. 

Jude shrugs. “Internet radio is different.”

“Whatever. We can use this bad press to our advantage. I'm going to confront German. You do some digging on Mia's sister. If anything ever happened to Laura, I'd wreak havoc on anyone who was involved. She's definitely a suspect.”

Jude shakes his head. “Why would she kill Olivia, though? Mia's death was…”

The awkward silence that follows is uncomfortable, but neither of them seem to know what to say. Zero genuinely hates moments when Jude is confronted by his father's bad behaviour. 

“Olivia knew what Oscar was doing with Mia. Maybe her sister is angry that she didn't stop it before it got out of hand. People have killed over less.” 

Jude nods, but he doesn't say anything. 

Zero clears his throat and grabs his car keys from the table. “I'm going to go and catch up with German. Call me if anything comes up.”

~

German is at the Playground when Zero finds him. There's a half empty beer bottle in front of him and he's watching the flat screen TV that's bracketed to the wall. He seems bored and disinterested so Zero doesn't hesitate to slide in across from him. 

“Hey, man, can I buy you a beer?”

German shrugs. “Considering how much you sucked in that last game, you  _ owe  _ me a beer. I can't even show my face in the street without being heckled.”

Zero sucks his teeth and tries to look as sympathetic as possible. Truth be told, he's over the finals. It's not like he was ever focused. If there's one thing that they can all learn, it's that there's more to life than basketball. Plus he doubts that a lot of people recognise German anyway. 

“Yeah, well, my boyfriend was arrested for murder. That kind of messes with you.”

Zero watches German closely and notes the way his shoulders tense. His previous loose posture is now rigid; there's definitely something up with him. 

“How is Jude?” German asks, with what appears to be genuine concern in his eyes. “He seems like a cool guy.”

Zero eyes German blankly. “He is. He's also not a killer. Unlike you.”

German barely flinches at the accusation, which can only mean one thing. He's a stone cold killer or---

“You must be the one who found my cap. I didn't realise until after the last game that I didn't have it. Figured the cops would have it.”

Zero raises an eyebrow and says, “Luckily for you, the cops are woefully incompetent. Why were you over at Olivia's?”

German shakes his head; a bitter grimace painted all over his face. “Ahsha was desperate to get one over on Jelena so she rigged some stupid All-Stars vote. Olivia wanted to expose her. I went over to confront her but she was already dead.”

That sounds convenient, but Zero isn't getting  _ murderer  _ vibes from German. He's just not sure why he would go to bat for someone who publicly humiliated him. 

German laughs when Zero puts this to him. “Dude, you're obviously still with Jude and he broke up with you from his  _ jail  _ cell. Love makes us irrational, man. That's just the way it is.”

Zero can't argue with that. 

-XII-

Pete and Sloane are crossed off Zero's list when Laura reveals that they have alibis for the night of Olivia's murder. Apparently that cop down at the precinct is willing to lose his job over the slightest hint of female interest. 

That leaves them with two suspects. The obvious - Oscar - and the unknown - Mia’s sister. 

The thing is that, Zero has no idea who she could be. There are many people who pass through the arena every day. She could be among them now and he'd have no clue. 

“Why would Oscar kill Olivia on her turf?” Laura says, twirling her stir fry noodles around her fork. Zero barely has an appetite, but solving a murder doesn't seem to be affecting his baby sister. 

“What do you mean?” Jude asks from his seat across the table. 

Laura sets her fork down. “Look, if I'm Oscar Kinkade, I'm not going to make your death look like something out of The Young and the Restless. I'm going for neat and effective. A location that isn't surrounded by potential clues.” 

Zero shakes his head. “Maybe he got someone else to do it. Like with the dancer.”

Laura snaps her fingers. “Mia ended up in a river. Olivia should have ended up in a ditch. Not in her pristine house.”

Jude scratches his chin. “I think Laura's right. Oscar would have it planned down to the last detail. The cops kept trying to push this narrative that I argued with her and accidentally pushed her in the heat of the moment.”

The thing is this, if Mia's sister killed Olivia because she held her responsible, who's next? All of them are complicit. They all know what Oscar did, yet they're still here. If anybody fucked with Laura, Zero would want heads to roll. He'd find the person responsible and go after their---

“Shit.”

Both Laura and Jude turn to look at him. 

“I think Jude is in danger.’

~

The charges against Jude are dropped days after Zero realises that there's a murderer out there who may or may not be after them.

Zero follows him down to the precinct and does the pap walk back to the car, ignoring all questions about their relationship. 

He loses concentration for a split second and there's a loud  _ pop _ . 

He barely registers what's happening when Clive shoves him down to the ground and white hot pain shoots down his arm. He cranes his neck to the side and notices a blossoming crimson patch on his tan Fred Perry jacket. 

“Did someone throw a slushie at me?”

It's happened before. Overzealous fans (or haters) throw food at him, and he has to toss whatever designer item he's wearing. 

“Zero, you've been  _ shot. _ ”

Oh. 

Luckily for him, that's the moment where everything goes black. 

-XIII-

When Zero wakes up, the first thing that hits his nose is the strong smell of antiseptic. There are loud, irritating beeps and the sound of shoes squeaking on linoleum. 

That can only mean one thing. 

“Dammit, I  _ hate  _ hospitals.” 

“Everybody does.” The dry response comes from the nurse recording his observations. Call Zero an egotistical bastard but she doesn't seem too overjoyed by his presence. 

“I'm not everybody.”

“Oh, I know who you are.”

“You don't seem to like me very much.”

“I'm a Lakers fan. Sorry.”

With that she saunters out of the room, leaving Zero to realise that he didn't even as her what happened. 

He's poking at the bandage on his shoulder when the nurse reappears. 

“I'm Corinne, by the way. Apparently, I'm the unlucky nurse who has to tend to the superstar.”

Zero raises an eyebrow. “I can't wait to tell your boss about your bedside manner.”

Corrine grins then and Zero knows instantly that she's not a woman one should cross. “I'm married to my boss. So. Good luck with that.”

Zero grimaces. “Can you at least tell me what happened?”

He remembers leaving the police station, recalls seeing the mass of paparazzi desperate to get their stupid pictures. Everything after that is a blur. 

“Someone shot you. It was just a flesh wound, but the police are treating it seriously. They think it was an attempt on your life.”

Zero swallows down the lump forming in his throat because he knows all too well that the bullet he took was meant for Jude. He feels tears prick at his eyes and he turns away. If heat going to cry, it'll be in front of a nurse that's actually  _ nice  _ to him. 

“There's an officer stationed outside and no one is allowed in or out of here. You're in safe hands, Zero.”

Corrine's expression is now contrite and slightly ashamed, and Zero's not above using it to his advantage. 

“I need to see Jude. Is he here?  _ Please. _ ”

He makes sure his voice cracks on the last word and she regards him silently, breaking eye contact to shake her head and mutter something under her breath. 

“You're lucky that you're pretty.” 

With that, she leaves the room, returning five minutes later with an impatient Jude on her heels. 

“Gideon, you're awake!’ Jude is all over him before he can respond, diving in and embracing him in a deep kiss that only ends when Corinne clears her throat loudly. 

“That's not the kind of tender loving care that your body needs, Zero.”

She doesn't wait around for a response before she leaves, clicking the door shut quietly behind her. 

“You were right about Mia’s sister. There's an image of the suspected shooter that fits the profile we had of her.”

“What are the police doing?”

Jude shrugs hopelessly. “Investigating, I guess. Right now I'm just concerned about you. God, the first day of freedom and you get  _ shot.  _ I feel like I just can't win.”

Zero musters up the strongest smile he can. “Hey, you're  _ with  _ me. I’m the ultimate prize. Nothing else to win.”

The words might be cheesy, but it's worth it when Jude smiles. 

~

The investigation goes slowly if the police response to Zero's questions are any indication. He's glad when he's finally released from the hospital, even though they insist on wheeling him out because it's protocol. The last thing he wants is for there to be pap shots of him, but in this day and age it's inevitable.    
  
"That bullet wasn't meant for you." 

The voice is so quiet he thinks he's imagined it, until he realizes that there is no one else around. Zero swallows and keeps.still. He doesn't turn around because he's seen this movie before.    
  
"Who was it for?"   
  
"You're a smart guy, I'm sure you'll figure it out. The Kinkades are poison, Zero, and I won't stop until they pay for what happened to my sister.”

Bizarrely enough relief is what floods Zero's system instead of fear. At least their suspicions were correct.    
  
"Look,.I'm sorry about what happened to Mia. But taking another life is needless. It's not going to bring your sister back." He tries to reassure her, but he already knows he words are falling on deaf ears.    
  
"This isn't a stupid cop procedural where that line actually works. I want revenge. I don't care what happens to me. She called me, asking for help and I didn't reply. It was always something with Mia. Loser boyfriend's, drugs  tricking for Oscar Kinkade. I got sick of it and I cut her off. Now she's dead."

Damn.    
  
Zero clears his throat and says, "It's not your fault."   
  
Her reply is succinct. "I know."   
  
"It's not Jude's fault either, he barely knew her."   
  
"You come for my family, I come for yours."   
  
"How does that explain Olivia?" It's not like she's the one that killed Mia.    
  
"That was an accident. I confronted her and she was so nonchalant. We got into an argument and she fell."   
  
It feels good to finally hear the truth, but Zero senses that his work is not done. Another murder is the last thing that any of them need. He has to at least try to talk her out of the destructive path she's heading down.   
  
"Look, I feel for you  I really do, but I think you should turn yourself in. If you go up against Oscar,  he'll crush you. He has friends in high places and if I figured out who you are, it won't take him long."

She shifts behind him and Zero tenses. He wishes that he could see her face but he's not stupid enough to turn around.    
  
"So, he just gets away with it?"   
  
Zero shakes his head, mind finally made up. He's watched Oscar hurt Jude too many times and this near miss is like a visceral wound to the heart. Someone needs to do something about Oscar and he's more than willing to step up.    
  
"To takedown someone like Oscar Kinkade, you need to hit him where it hurts. I think I can do that. Only if you turn yourself in, though, because right now he's protecting himself very closely.”   
  
He hears her intake a breath and he waits patiently, idly thinking about where everyone else is. They've been in this empty hallway for at least ten minutes. There's a jingle of keys in the distance and he hears rusting behind him.    
  
"I'll think about it."   
  
With that she's gone, leaving Zero alone. He turns around quickly just barely getting   glance of long blonde hair disappearing around the corner.

-XIV-

Zero's at home, resting in front of some dumb Lifetime movie when the message comes through. 

_ I'll turn myself in. But I need to have your word that you'll destroy Oscar.  _

It's from an unknown number, but Zero's smart enough to know that he'll have to ditch his own after this. 

_ You have my word.  _

~

The news passes with little fanfare. There's a blurb in the Times about it. Gemma Murphy, 26, arrested for the murder of Olivia Vincent. In a way, Zero feels sorry for her. 

“I wonder why she turned herself in.”

Zero looks up from that paper. Jude's cutting into his pancakes with gusto and there's finally some  _ colour  _ on his face, after weeks of ashen skin and worry lines. The difference is plain to see and that makes keeping silent worth it. 

“I guess the guilt was too much.”

Jude pauses and contemplates Zero's words before he shrugs. 

Little does he know that this situation is  _ far  _ from over. 

_...To be continued…. _


End file.
